Somerset, NJ – Six members of the Wagner College football team have been named to the All-Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Team, it was announced by the league office today while the Seahawks were picked to finish fourth in the nine-team conference while garnering one first place vote. For the first time ever in 2010, the NEC champion will gain entry into the FCS Championship which has been increased from 16 teams to 20 teams.

The six student-athletes named to the All-NEC team are sophomore quarterback Nick Doscher (Staten Island, NY/Moore Catholic), senior center Cleveland Green (Hollywood, FL/MacArthur), senior guard Joe Feriozzi (Margate, NJ/St. Augustine Prep), senior punter Kyle Muir (Spencerport, NY/ Hudson CC), senior kick return specialist Frantz Placide (Miami, FL/Archbishop Curley Notre Dame) and sophomore running back Dominique Williams (Bridgton, NJ/Milford Academy).

The 2009 NEC Rookie of the Year, Doscher was named NEC Rookie of the Week five times a year ago and was the league's Offensive Player of the Week once last year. He led Wagner in both passing yards (1330) and rushing yards (769), while completing 58% of his passes with eight passing TDs and 13 rushing TDs. He topped the 100-yard rushing mark on four occasions and his 769 rushing records are a single-season record for a Seahawk quarterback.

Green and Feriozzi, who each earned All-NEC Second-Team honors a year ago, helped anchor an offensive line that spearheaded the NEC's top offense, averaging 30.8 points per game in 2009, which was first in the NEC and 22nd nationally.

Muir, last year's First-Team All-NEC punter, was number one in the NEC with a 40.2 yards per punt average, a figure that ranked 23rd in the nation. His booming, high arching punts helped Wagner rank ninth nationally in net punting average and No. 1 in the NEC at 37.21. The let-footed Muir had six punts of 50 yards or more, 16 downed inside the 20-yard line and seven that were fair caught.

Placide, a First-Team All-NEC return specialist a year ago, opened the year with an 89-yard kickoff return vs. Stonehill (9/5) and capped the season with another 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. Albany (9/21). For the season, his 26.8 yards per kickoff return average ranked eighth nationally. His 777 kickoff return yards established a Seahawk single-season record and his 172 kickoff return yards vs. Albany (11/21) set a single-game record.

Williams rushed for 642 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman, despite missing three games with a knee injury. A three-time NEC Rookie of the Week selection in 2009, Williams rushed for a career-high 131 yards and one touchdown vs. North Dakota State. He also eclipsed the 100-yard mark vs. SUNY-Maritime (114 yards), Saint Francis (PA) (102 yards) and Albany (101 yards). In the thrilling 56-48 triple-overtime win over the Red Flash, he scored a career-high four touchdowns.

Central Connecticut St was picked to win the conference with four first place votes, followed by Robert Morris (three first place votes), Albany (one first place vote) and Wagner (one first place vote). Rounding out the NEC Preseason poll was Monmouth in fifth place, followed by Bryant, Duquesne, Sacred Heart and Saint Francis (PA).

NEC Preseason Poll (First Place votes in parentheses)

1. Central Connecticut St. (4)
2. Robert Morris (3)
3. Albany (1)
4. WAGNER (1)
5. Monmouth
6. Bryant
7. Duquesne
8. Sacred Heart
9. Saint Francis (PA)

NEC PRESEASON RELEASE